


In Betweens

by MicrosuedeMouse



Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: Drabble Collection, F/M, regular cameos by other characters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-26
Updated: 2018-06-27
Packaged: 2019-02-21 23:22:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 70
Words: 7,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13154184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MicrosuedeMouse/pseuds/MicrosuedeMouse
Summary: A series of Gwenvid drabbles. Told out of order and possibly without continuity. Will update at random, and in batches.





	1. Fire

Gwen watched David struggle with the gauze for a minute before sighing. “Hey, stupid.”

He looked up in surprise. “Yeah?”

“Let me take care of that.” Uncrossing her arms, she stepped closer and took the roll from his hand, discarding the strip he’d already dirtied and starting fresh. “How’d you even fuck up your elbow so bad?”

“Well… Max,” he admitted, a little reluctantly.

“Of course it was Max.” She rolled her eyes. “You put up with a lot from that kid.”

“I’m just trying to help him,” David told her. “He deserves happiness.” There was fire in his eyes.


	2. Midol

“Sweet Jesus, I’m going to die here,” Gwen groaned.

“No you’re not.” She glanced up, not having realized that David was back. There was a shopping bag in his hand. “I ran into town while QM watched the kids,” he said, coming over and perching on the edge of her mattress. “I got you Midol, and another package of the same pads you keep in the bathroom, and this giant bag of chocolates, and a magazine. You read this one, right?” He smiled, a bit uncertainly.

She looked at the bounty, then him. “I hate you less than everything else.”


	3. Looking

Sometimes, after the campers were in bed, Gwen would take her hair down and curl up in her chair in a tank top and a pair of pyjama shorts to read. David tried not to look too much, because he didn’t want her to get the wrong idea, but he liked how peaceful she looked in those moments. Her smile never lasted that long during the day.

He’d take his notebook and sit in his own chair, planning for tomorrow and sneaking glances sometimes.

He thought she didn’t notice. She did, but she didn’t mind.

Those quiet evenings were nice.


	4. Astronomy

Astronomy camp, naturally, had to be held on a clear night, followed by sleeping outside in the field. It was four AM by the time all the campers fell asleep, and with all the tea David had to drink to stay up that long, he was up again by six.

Retying the drawstring on his pyjama pants as he returned from the trees, he noticed Gwen curled up tight in her sleeping bag, shivering slightly. He grabbed the extra blanket out of his backpack and tossed it over her, tucking it up close to her chin. Her furrowed brow relaxed.


	5. Books

David peered curiously over her shoulder at the page. “Why do you read so many of these books, Gwen?” he asked.

She sighed, laying the romance page-down in her lap. “Because I’m self-indulgent trash, David,” she told him, too tired to attempt her usual, more defensive excuse about how much self-important Literature she had to read in college.

“Well, there’s nothing wrong with a little self-indulgence, Gwen! You should always do things that make you happy!” he answered brightly, leaning around her chair to look her in the eye. “I meant my question earnestly. What do you like about them?”


	6. First Aid

Gwen had brought the first aid kid with her when they started their hike up Sleepy Peak Peak. She had known what to expect. David was far better at looking after the children than at looking after himself. While QM occupied the campers for a moment, she dabbed antiseptic on her whimpering co-counsellor’s skinned knee.

“Thank you,” he breathed, even as he winced in pain.

“Who else would do it?” she asked drily, not looking up. She wondered if she could do anything to bandage it effectively. Probably not.

“Nobody,” he told her, and she glanced up. “That’s my point.”


	7. Lock Screen

In the dimness, David groped around on the table for his phone. He picked up the warm rectangle and brought it to his face, squinting in the bright light as he woke the screen. But then – this wasn’t his phone. He broke into a bright smile.

The lock screen was a photo of him, laughing, with Nikki on his shoulders and Nerris at his heels. That had been weeks ago. He didn’t know Gwen had been taking pictures.

“Gwen!” he breathed, teary-eyed. “This is wonderful!”

She looked up from the TV, snatching her phone back, glaring. “I’m changing it now.”


	8. Bottomless

She watched him from a distance, silent, as he listened to the campers’ suggestions one at a time, that indomitable cheerfulness still evident on his face. She wondered how he did it. Where did it come from? What deep well did he plumb for all that optimism, all that good spirit? Did it have a bottom?

She hoped it didn’t. David deserved to be that happy, as much as she sometimes resented it. And the kids deserved at least one role model who wasn’t miserable, she had to admit. She had never wanted to grow up around someone like herself.


	9. Caring

He watched her quietly, sometimes, during her best moments – those times when her walls came down, when she didn’t realize she was being good at her job. Good to the children. She was so beautiful in those moments, he thought. Always beautiful, but especially then, when she cared and let it show. She shone with it.

She deserved to feel even contentment, and he wanted to know why she didn’t. He wanted to ask, sometimes, what had made her so jaded. What had taken all her joy away. How he could bring it back to her. But he never did.


	10. Canoeing

“I love canoeing,” he sighed, looking serene as he paddled slowly along.

“I’d like it a lot more if we weren’t trying to herd all five of the kids’ canoes like this,” Gwen grunted from behind him.

David looked over his shoulder for a moment. “Would you really?” he asked.

She blinked in surprise. “Yeah, I guess,” she agreed, even as she reached the paddle out to jab a nearby Nurf in the side and stop him from bullying Dolph.

“Then we’ll come out alone sometime,” he said. “After the kids go to bed. Or on a Saturday. Sound good?”


	11. Rob Boss

“Rob Boss?” he asked, every muscle aching after the chaos of the day.

“Rob Boss,” she agreed tiredly, collapsing into her armchair.

He turned on the TV, tuned the station with the dial in absence of a remote. Rob Boss was always on one station or another in this place. Soon that soothing voice came through the speakers, and both counsellors’ tense shoulders began to relax.

“I’m glad we have this,” David said softly as he melted into his own chair.

“Me too,” she answered. “We deserve this, you and me. Just for surviving this place.” She nudged his hand.


	12. Practicing Misery

“What did you say?” Gwen asked, her startled gaze snapping up to him.

“I-I just…” David looked away, embarrassed. “I just said it’s no good to practice misery. And that you deserve to rest your mind as well as your body.”

“That’s not what you said, though,” she told him, narrowing her eyes.

His shoulders drooped and his hand went to the back of his neck. “Well, no not exactly,” he admitted.

“What did you _say?_ ”

“I said, ‘no good is coming from your restless soul.’”

“Are those song lyrics?” she asked.

He nodded. “Doesn’t make it any less true.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> does that line come from 'restless soul' by flor, the loves of my life, the only band I listen to, basically my 24/7 soundrack? yes, shut up. (have other drabbles in this collection also been inspired by flor? YES, shut UP.)


	13. Blackmail

“Where were you two?” Max asked, his voice half-accusing, half-amused. “Sneaking off to make out?”

David stiffened and went red, but Gwen crossed her arms. “Wouldn’t _you_ like to know,” she scoffed.

“What are the chances I could use it to blackmail you if you were?” the boy asked.

“Slim to none, frankly,” Gwen answered. “On the other hand, the chances that _we_ could use it just to make _you_ uncomfortable… those seem pretty fucking good.”

Max, surprisingly, blanched a little. “You… what the fuck are you implying?” he demanded.

“I’ll leave that up to you to decide,” she said.


	14. Cold

Her hands were cold. So, he discovered a moment later, were her shoulders. His instinct was to envelop her, engulf her to keep her warm, but he wasn’t built for that. Tall, thin, gangly. No mass to engulf her with.

She seemed to know. But by the way she moved now, she didn’t want to be surrounded. She wanted to entwine. She wound her legs into his, let their many limbs knit into a wonderful tangle. Humming happily, she burrowed into him, drew as close as she could.

This was better, he realized, than what he had had in mind.


	15. Walls

Gwen was used to hiding things. She wasn’t completely untrusting, but life was smoother if you were careful, if you kept yourself safe. Walls up.

But David – he was hard to keep walls up against. He himself was so open, so honest, always laying himself bare and vulnerable. He hid absolutely nothing. And it could be tiring, but it could also be hard to resist. People who share that much are hard not to reciprocate with.

He was so exposed it made him somehow feel safe. And so there she was, telling him everything, even when she tried not to.


	16. Surprise

“Open your hands.”

“What?” Gwen looked up, into David’s smiling face. “Why?” she asked, eyes narrowing.

“I brought you a surprise!” he answered, hands behind his back. “Eyes closed!”

She almost dreaded to find out what he’d brought her, because a lot of things might qualify as ‘a gift’ in her co-counsellor’s strange puppy brain. But he stood there, rocking on his heels, beaming. “Fine.” She did as told.

“Here.” She opened her eyes to cookies. Several entirely edible-looking, still-warm chocolate chip cookies. He smiled. “There were still ingredients left after baking camp today, so I made you a treat.”


	17. Marriages

It took her a second to parse words out of the Quartermaster’s grumbles. “I’m qualified to officiate marriages,” he had said, out of the blue. She made a face.

“I don’t know whether to ask why you’re qualified for that, or why you bring it up,” Gwen answered, sticking her tongue out in disgust.

The old man raised his eyebrows, giving her the most meaningful look his broken face could manage. Then he glanced across the field. She followed his gaze, and David looked up just in time to meet her eyes. He smiled and waved.

“Wait wait wait – what?”


	18. Shooting Stars

“Ah! There’s one!”

David looked where she pointed and caught just the tail end of the meteor before it disappeared. “Did you make a wish?”

She shifted on the blanket they’d laid down in the damp grass. “Wouldn’t _you_ like to know,” she answered.

“You have to make wishes, Gwen! That’s half the fun of shooting stars!”

“Yeah, yeah.” She rolled her eyes in the dark. She’d been making wishes, but she’d never admit that to _him_.

“Oh, Gwen, look at that one!” He grabbed her hand in his excitement, and her heart pounded against her ribs. “It’s so beautiful!”


	19. Rain

Gwen leaned back against the door of the mess hall kitchen and groaned. The rain pounded against the roof and the windows; the bored campers shouted and argued and refused to sit still. Everything was muddy and her hair would stay damp all day. “Too much noise,” she whined. “Rattling my brain.”

“Rainy days like this are always rough,” David nodded, glancing through the long serving window to make sure none of the kids were watching as he approached her. Deciding they were safe, he slipped a hand behind her neck and kissed her soundly. “Come help me make lunch.”


	20. And Things

“Mmf.” As much as Gwen was enjoying the attention, she had to push him back just a little. “David, what’s gotten into you?”

“Missed you,” he mumbled, kissing her smiling lips again.

“It’s not like you to blow off Campbell, though,” she laughed, hands in his hair. “You okay?”

He paused. “I love Mr. Campbell, but I’ve heard every story he has to tell,” David answered. “So while he’s occupying the campers, I wanted to take advantage of our free time. You know. For kissing. And things.”

“Kissing and things,” she agreed, drawing him back in. He hugged her waist.


	21. Dating

“I’m, uh… not available,” Gwen said awkwardly. Pikeman had grown this year, and with the extra inches came even more overconfidence. “I’m, yeah, I’m quite taken.”

“Oh, what harm could it possibly do?” Pikeman asked, leaning in further, widening that horrendous smile. “No one has to know. It’s not like he’s _here_.”

“Oh, uh, no, he– he totally is,” she answered, increasingly uncomfortable. “Yeah, he’s totally here, actually.”

He scoffed. “There’s no one here but David.” He pointed across the field at her co-counsellor.

“Yup!” she said, voice high. “Yeah, it’s David! Hey, David, c’mere!” He did. “We’re dating, right?”


	22. Ice Cream

David froze half-in the door of the mess hall, startled by the lights on and the sounds in the kitchen. “…Quartermaster?”

A screech, then Gwen’s head poking out the door. “Jesus, David, you scared the shit out of me!”

“Sorry,” he answered, a hand on his chest. “You – you couldn’t sleep either, huh?”

She watched him for a second, then held up a spoon. “I still have ice cream left, if you want to join me.”

He nodded, coming inside. “Chocolate mint?” he asked hopefully.

“You know it,” she answered. “Hurry up, or I’ll finish it on you.”

He hurried.


	23. Interruption

“Oh, sweet Jesus!” Max shouted, while Neil and Nikki merely screamed.

David had tumbled to the floor and then rolled behind the desk, face ablaze, so Gwen just lifted her nose. “That’s what you get for not knocking,” she told the trio.

“Holy _fuck_ ,” Max carried on loudly, scrabbling at his eyes. “Let me unsee that!”

“You can’t,” Gwen answered. “I hope you think of it every time you open a door without checking, forever.”

David made a strangled noise from the floor.

“This better be important,” Gwen said. “Because we were having a _great_ time before you barged in.”


	24. Dad

“You’re such a _dad_ ,” Gwen commented without thinking. She’d stood outside the tent and watched as David tucked a comforted Space Kid back into bed, post-nightmare.

“You think so?” he asked, turning to look at her with sparkling eyes as they headed back to their cabin.

“I mean… yeah,” she responded, taken aback. “You just… I dunno… you’re good with the kids. You can be very, uh, paternal.”

“That’s so kind of you!” he said excitedly. “I’ve always wanted to be a dad!”

She cracked a grin. “Yeah, well… you’ll be great at it.”

“And you’ll be a great mom!”


	25. T-shirt

That old t-shirt he wore tied around his neck proved handy, in the end. She’d always thought it was dorky, but now she appreciated that she could do anything she wanted to his neck. He complained, but he never meant it.

And every time he moved during the day and the fabric shifted enough for her to spot one of those red marks her mouth had left behind, she felt a rush deep in her stomach. It might have been inappropriate, given the circumstances. Working with children, and all. But it was so much _fun_ , and he wasn’t stopping her.


	26. Love

“David, I want this. Don’t you?”

“Of course,” he answered, sounding strained. “But I just… I just want to make sure it’s not because I’m the only eligible human man you’ve seen in two months.”

Gwen paused. Then she laughed softly, drawing close again. “Do you really think I could avoid falling in love with you, in the end?” she asked before kissing him again, gently this time.

He stared. “I-in… love?” She nodded. “With me?” She nodded again.

He swallowed, overwhelmed. “Gwen.” Then it all seemed to fall into place, and he pulled her in and kissed her hard.


	27. Morning

Gwen giggled tiredly as David pushed up her pyjama top and peppered her stomach with kisses. She had never been a morning person, but she didn’t hate them so much when they started like this. He kissed up, up, until he met the hem of her shirt and shifted himself up to kiss her face. “Good morning.”

She hummed. “Here I thought you might do something a little more fun,” she teased.

He lifted his eyebrows, bit his lip, glanced away in thought. “It would make us late for breakfast…”

“So what?”

He grinned and pulled her top up further.


	28. End of Summer

It was those few days they had to themselves between the kids going home and themselves leaving that were really wonderful. In theory they should have been cleaning and closing up the camp for the year, and they got it done in the end, but they got their fun in too. They worked so hard to restrain themselves when the campers were there – they deserved this. Quartermaster never even caught them. It was the best five days of the season.

Gwen would never have dreamed how many different places in the campground she could seduce David. He wouldn’t have, either.


	29. Work

“David?” she asked late one evening. “What happens after this summer?”

He looked at her in surprise, then smiled warmly. “Long distance isn’t impossible,” he said. “Especially not for you. I’ll come visit you all the time. You can come visit me, too, if you want. It’ll be fun. And one day we’ll move in together, and be together all the time. It’ll be worth the work.”

Her heart was pounding. “Really?” She wasn’t sure if anyone had ever been so ready to put that much effort in for her.

“Of course,” he said, pulling closer. “I love you, Gwen.”


	30. All Over

Normally David was the sweet one, but she felt like doting on him today. As soon as they were closed in their cabin for the night, she was all over him, kissing every bit of him she could find. He laughed and let her push him all the way to his bed, let her pull his vest and shirt off and kiss every freckle on his chest.

“I love you,” she sighed. “I love you here-” A kiss. “-and here-” Another. “-and here.”

“I love you too,” he answered. “What’s gotten into you?”

“Love,” she replied simply, kissing him again.


	31. Little Touches

The murky water of Lake Lilac let David reach out and touch her without the kids seeing – just little gestures, stroking her back or touching her hand or brushing her stomach. He couldn’t seem to help himself, and it amused her. “Having fun?” she asked out of the corner of her mouth.

“Sorry,” he said sheepishly. “I’ll stop if you want. I just… it feels good. I want to be that close to you _all_ the time.”

Gwen laughed. He was so predictable. Shaking her head, she dipped a bit closer to him, grabbing his butt before swimming quickly away.


	32. Future

Gwen hadn’t been able to picture a whole future with anyone since she was fifteen. Hell – these last few years, she had _never_ imagined she’d spend her whole life with one person, even when she was single and just daydreaming. Things just never worked out that neatly for her.

But David… he made her think ahead. She’d resisted it at first, but he was so confident in them. And he made her so happy. Some days he talked about the future like it was a given and it didn’t even give her pause any more.

With David, anything seemed possible.


	33. Adaptable

David was more adaptable than people sometimes gave him credit for. People assumed he was the white-picket-fence, two-kids-and-a-dog, house-in-the-suburbs type. And he wasn’t resistant to that possibility. But if Gwen wanted a high-rise apartment and a fish tank and nothing else, he could work with that. And if she wanted a renovated ranch house and a whole baseball team worth of kids, he could do that too.

David was head over heels in love with Gwen, and he knew that whatever direction life took them, they’d be happy. They worked well together and understood each other. They could handle anything.


	34. Names

“Her name is _Gwen,_ Mr. Campbell.”

There was the briefest pause, and Gwen wondered if Campbell was taken aback by David frowning so deeply at him. But then the man rolled easily back into his spiel like nothing had happened. “Yes, Davey, of course. So while you and Greta-”

“Mr. Campbell!” David interrupted, frown deepening even further.

“David, it’s okay,” she began to mutter out of one side of her mouth, reaching for him.

“No it’s not!” he said. “Sir, her name is Gwen! She’s been here three years!”

Campbell blinked. Cleared his throat. “Yes. Gwen. Sorry about that, Davey.”


	35. Overwhelmed

He got overwhelmed sometimes. It had thrown her off at first, to be honest, but she’d adjusted. It was hardly a bad thing, she reminded herself, for a man to be as in touch with his emotions as David was.

She had a system for dealing with it now. When she could tell he’d had a rough day she would sit down on her bed and pat the mattress beside her, and when he sat she’d pull him down and put his head in her lap. And she’d comb her fingers soothingly through his hair while he cried it out.


	36. Eye to Eye

“Face it, David. This is just a lost cause. We’re not going to find a middle ground here.” Gwen collapsed into her chair, frustrated.

He drew back for a second, looking upset, and she already felt guilty. Then he approached slowly, crouching next to her. “Do we… _need_ to find one?” he asked, quietly.

“What?”

“I mean… is this a thing that matters that much to either of us?” he explained. “Or is it maybe okay not to see eye to eye on this one? Will it kill us not to compromise on _everything_?”

She paused. “No. I guess not.”


	37. Saving Grace

“Some days I swear I’d lose my mind completely in this place if I didn’t have you,” Gwen sighed, sinking into her bed.

David looked up quickly. “Really?”

“You sound surprised,” she chuckled.

“Well, I… I kind of thought I was a contributing factor to the stress, more often than not,” he admitted, cringing.

She sighed again. “That’s only because I’m a _lot_ better at complaining than saying thank you,” she told him. “Sorry about that, David. I mean it. You’re this dumb camp’s saving grace most days.”

He paused, taking that in. “Gosh,” he breathed. “Thank you, Gwen. Wow.”


	38. Runaways

“What if we just took off?” she sighed, stretching out on the bed next to him when she was done treating the burn on his shin.

He glanced at her. “We have responsibilities here, Gwen.”

“Daydream with me for a minute, dummy,” she said. “Just imagine… running away on our own. Not having to deal with any of this anymore – just doing what _we_ wanted. Just the two of us.”

He smiled in spite of himself. “It does sound kind of nice,” he admitted. “Even if it was just for a little while.”

“It sounds _amazing_ , David,” she answered, grinning.


	39. Stay

Gwen withdrew, sometimes, especially early on. She pulled away from him and hid inside herself. It took David a while to figure out that it wasn’t because he’d done anything wrong. It was her own anxiety, her own self-doubt that made her do it. She just worried. And then she closed up.

“I… I should go to bed,” she said late one evening, yawning in the glow of their ancient television. “Tomorrow’s gonna be a long day.”

He watched for a second as she got to her feet, and then he reached out and grabbed her hand. “Stay,” he murmured.


	40. Phone Call

His voice crackled on the line, and Gwen frowned. Bad signal usually meant he was hiking, and he only called her from a hike if he had something difficult to say.

“Is everything okay?” she asked, pushing away the anxiety that already gnawed at the edges of her mind.

“Of course,” David answered quickly. “Yeah, everything’s fine.”

“I’m sorry I’ve been absent,” she blurted. “I don’t mean to be so bad at this. I’ll get better.”

“Gwen, it’s not you,” he said, and was there a smile on his voice? “I wanted to ask. Would you… move in with me?”


	41. Disgusting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> omg I'm sorry it's been so long since the last RAH update - I've been kind of swamped and a lot of days lately if I don't have time to sit down and write properly I just hammer out a drabble instead and that's all. so there are a lot of these and not much of anything else rn. the end of the semester is in sight and then I'll have time to catch up with things!!

Gwen was glad David couldn’t see how hard she grinned when he nuzzled his face into her neck, the two of them lying half-naked under the covers. She knew, after the kinds of guys she’d dated before, she shouldn’t be embarrassed of anything with a man like David, but still – there was something about how utterly happy he could make her that was a little bit disgusting. It was the sort of thing she’d always gagged at because she’d never believed she’d have it for herself.

“Mm… love you,” he murmured, kissing her bare skin. She bit down a smile.


	42. Stay

“Stay here,” David breathed, smiling against her lips. Gwen laughed softly as he trailed kisses down the side of her jaw to her throat.

“Where would I go?” she asked, her toes curling as he found his way into the crook of her neck.

“I don’t know. Anywhere,” he answered. “Except that I don’t want you to. I want you to stay here forever.”

“In this falling-apart cabin surrounded by a falling-apart summer camp?” she teased.

“No,” he said, amused. “Just… with me. Stay with me. Right here.” His hand was warm and soft on her hip.

“Maybe I will.”


	43. How to Say It

“David, you deserve someone who _tells you_ she loves you,” Gwen said plaintively, spreading her hands. “Not someone who thinks it all the time but has never known how to say it out loud – to you or to anyone else, either.”

He watched her for a moment, startled, wondering whether she was fully aware of what she was saying. “Gwen, that’s _you_ ,” he answered finally.

“I wish it was, but it’s not. I’ve never been good at this,” she insisted, wiping her eyes.

Holding back his own tears, he pulled her close. “But you just said it,” he told her.


	44. Hands

She so often paused to appreciate his hands, and it was one of his favourite things. She’d slip her fingers slowly between his and squeeze before drawing his hand up to her face, kissing his fingertips or his knuckles or the scars in the middle of his palms and the backs of each hand. It tickled softly, but not unpleasantly, as she traced the edges of the callouses that always developed during the summer, from chopping wood and playing guitar and climbing trees.

“I love you,” she would murmur, smiling, and he’d shiver and pull her in for a kiss.


	45. Gestures

It was the little things, in the end. David could drive Gwen crazy, but he also had an unexpectedly good eye for the details. He would tuck away a plate of her favourite snacks before the kids got to descend upon them, or wake her up with a mug of coffee on rough mornings, or let her shower first when the hot water tank was low. When he realised that his own presence wasn’t enough to dissuade Pikeman’s uncomfortable advances, he’d send the Quartermaster to loom over the young man for as long as necessary.

She fell for small gestures.


	46. Surprise

Gwen surprised herself, the first time she kissed him. Of course, she probably surprised him _more_. He was just being so cute – so passionate, so carried away, so _David_. He ran a hand back through that soft red hair, beaming, his gaze dancing around in his excitement, and she just leaned in and cupped her hands behind his neck and kissed him.

She considered coming up with some kind of excuse. She could probably pull it off. But then she pulled back and saw that sort of stunned expression of blissful disbelief, and she couldn’t.

“Hey,” she murmured, smiling softly.


	47. Morning Sunshine

The first time Gwen woke up in his bed, her heart jumped into her throat in a way she didn’t care to acknowledge. Sunlight streamed through the window and got caught in his mussed-up hair, shining in a way that seemed prettier than most mornings; it also fell across his back and illuminated the countless freckles sprayed across his shoulder blades. Propped up on her elbows, she just admired him for a moment before rolling closer.

Under the sheet she ran her palm across the small of his back before looping her arm around his waist, face against his neck.


	48. Speculation

“They’re totally screwing, though. There’s no way they’re not,” Neil muttered. Gwen raised her eyebrows, but managed not to turn around and glare. She was curious.

“A bit cliché, don’cha think?” Max snorted.

“I dunno, I kinda thought David was gay,” Nikki answered, uncertain.

“It’s true love!” Preston contended, and Gwen could picture his clenched fist.

“Okay, calm down there,” Neil said. “I’m just saying, like, we _know_ Gwen loves those dirty novels…”

“Don’t remind me,” complained Harrison.

Gwen looked at David, off in his own world. Then, impulsively, she grinned, grabbed him by the shirt, and kissed him hard.


	49. Midnight

David woke up unexpectedly in the wee hours of the morning, bleary-eyed but distinctly conscious. It was still dark, and very quiet, and he wondered what had woken him.

Next to him, Gwen shifted in her sleep, almost surprising him. He turned to look at her, little more than a pleasantly familiar shape in the dimness, and felt himself filled with fond warmth. Scooting closer under the covers, he pulled her against him, unable to resist the draw of direct skin contact. Her chest pressed against his, and she hummed slightly, tucking her face in between his neck and shoulder.


	50. Campbell

Gwen and David stood stock-still, mortified, waiting for the verdict. After a pause, Campbell carried on like nothing had happened. “As I was saying, I need you two out of here for a minute while I have a look in the safe…”

“Right,” Gwen managed, voice choked. She smoothed her shirt and set off woodenly, not meeting David’s eye. A moment later he followed, fixing his hair.

“What just happened?” she hissed as they stepped outside.

“I’m not sure,” David answered in a squeak. “But I think he gave me a thumbs up and a wink when I passed him.”


	51. (Not) Secret

“I-I-I thought,” David stammered, “that you wanted to keep all this a secret.”

“I did at first,” Gwen admitted, holding in her amusement. “But I’m just so tired of letting these kids _run_ my whole _life_. Plus, it was funny. Did you see their faces?”

His own face was still deeply flushed, even twenty minutes later. “Well, yes, but… are you sure? I just don’t want this to come back to bite you in the butt.”

She softened a little at his concern and touched his cheek. “I’m sure, David. I’m not ashamed to be with you. I want this.”


	52. Sleep

He was visiting her at home for the first time, but the journey had tuckered him out and he’d turned in early, apologising profusely. She didn’t mind; it was nice just to have him there. He almost always went to sleep before her anyway. She stayed up at the computer for a while, engrossed in fanfiction.

Finally, at two in the morning, she stripped down to her underwear and a t-shirt and slipped between the cool sheets to snuggle up next to him. He was warm, and even asleep he detected her presence and pulled her close. She hummed contentedly.


	53. Sunk

David knew he was sunk the day that Harrison and Nerris caught him watching dreamily as Gwen hung laundry up on the line. When the kids startled him out of his reverie he stumbled over his words for a moment, feeling his face grow warm, but luckily they didn’t seem to catch onto why.

What a disaster, really. Falling for _Gwen?_ Sure, she was incredible, and beautiful, and he loved her with his whole heart – but there was no way on earth he was the type of guy she dated. He knew that. Though it was certainly nice to dream.


	54. Fucked

“God, today is absolutely the worst day.” Gwen rubbed at the bags under her eyes. “I feel like shit.”

David looked on sympathetically. “I’ve got coffee on for you already, and there’s ice cream in the freezer. The campers are scheduled for just a half-day of activities. And I put your favourite blanket in the wash, so it should be clean and warm by lunchtime.” He gnawed his lip. “Can I do anything else?”

She stared at him, heart pounding traitorously. “God. I really am well and truly fucked,” she muttered.

“Gwen, no! You’ll be fine!”

He had no clue.


	55. Butterflies

_Butterflies_.

What was she, thirteen? David kissed her so sweetly, and his hands moved so slowly, always attentive to her responses. His left palm flat against the shelf of her hip, fingers cautiously sliding up under the hem of her t-shirt, he paused to make sure he had permission. And she got fucking _butterflies_. What _was_ it with him?

And why did this make her feel more wanted than any guy who’d ever ripped her shirt off the moment she’d kissed him with tongue?

Gwen pressed her hands against his bare stomach and made him laugh softly. A good distraction.


	56. Affection

He knew she had trouble with affection, sometimes. She’d admitted that she put up with it as well as she did probably because he’d been so affectionate throughout their friendship, well before all of this. He knew that was the reason she didn’t flinch every time he told her he loved her – he’d been saying it for years.

He reached over, skimmed his fingertips through her hair, around the curve of her jaw. She smiled a little, and his heart ached.

“Can I tell you?” he asked softly. “That I’m in love with you?”

She paused. “Okay,” she breathed finally.


	57. Kindness

Gwen didn’t mention her exes as often now that they were dating as she used to, but she didn’t always have to. Sometimes she seemed surprised, even _startled_ by what seemed, to David, the simplest gestures, and he hated to think that she wasn’t used to that – to being thought of often, being shown open affection, being treated with kindness that had no ulterior motive.

“Why do you do this?” she asked one afternoon, smiling but puzzled as he kissed the back of her neck, reaching around to offer her a handful of flowers.

“Because you deserve it,” he answered.


	58. Touch

His winter hands were strange – so different from summer. The callouses were far less pronounced, the pads of his fingers softer than she was used to. He had no slivers or scrapes or bug bites. But his skin was drier. She brushed her thumb absently across the knuckles where his fingers met his hand before tracing down to the scar in the middle.

“I know,” he said quietly, surprising her. “I’ve been trying to remember to moisturise! But you know I’m terrible with new habits.” His fingers caught hers and squeezed.

He still touched her the same way. She smiled.


	59. Not So Bad

“We like to make fun of David,” Nerris said, “But he’s not really so bad.”

Gwen looked down at her, surprised. “What makes you say that?” she asked.

Nerris lifted her knee, pointing. “I got a bad cut on my knee when I fell earlier, but he found me a cat bandaid,” she answered. “And he used a healing spell, too.”

“Oh yeah?” Gwen asked, stifling a grin. “I didn’t know you liked cats.”

“Every wizard needs a loyal companion,” Nerris said.

“Of course.” Gwen glanced up. David was running across the grass, a gleeful Space Kid on his shoulders.


	60. Favourites

David was sitting in his chair, legs folded up in front of him, one hand firmly planted on his bright red face. Gwen only had to pause for a second to figure out that the book he was frowning so intensely at was one of hers. She smirked. “Enjoying it?”

He squawked and jumped, the book flying out of his hands and coming back down hard on his head. “I was just-!”

She grinned. It felt too early in the relationship to tease him like this, and yet… “One of my favourites,” she murmured, leaning down next to his ear.


	61. Long Day

“David?”

“Yeah, Gwen?” He sounded dejected, and it made her sad. It had been a long day, and difficult for him.

“You did really good today,” she said, venturing closer to his chair. He looked up at her, almost puzzled, from his slumped position. “Really. You put your all into this. And yeah, it got pretty out of hand, but you did your _best_. And your best is damn good, man.”

“It’s just hard,” he said, smiling ruefully. “I just want the campers to have fun.”

“They did have fun,” she assured him. “Just not quite the way we planned.”


	62. Dreams

“Hey. Wake up.”

Finally David stirred, opening his eyes blearily and frowning at Gwen’s concerned face. “Mwuh?”

“You’ve been talking in your sleep,” she told him, sitting on the edge of his mattress. “It was just funny at first, but then you seemed to get upset. Dream turn sour?”

“Think so,” he answered, trying to remember. Seemingly unrelated fragments drifted unhelpfully to the surface. “Feel weird.”

She stroked his hair. “You can go back to sleep if you want. Just had to check on you.”

He nodded, then pulled on her arms until she laid down next to him.

“Oh.”


	63. Paying Attention

“How did you even _find_ me?” Gwen asked in irritation, doing a poor job of hiding her chocolate stash behind her back.

“We asked David,” Nikki said with a shrug, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Gwen frowned. “How did _he_ know where I was?”

Nerris raised a puzzled eyebrow. “David _always_ knows where you are,” she said.

“That’s true, actually,” Nikki agreed. “You can ask him, like, _any_ time. And he’ll have an answer.”

Gwen looked at the girls in surprise. “Seriously? How the hell…?”

“I guess he just pays attention,” Nerris answered, hands spread.


	64. Skinnamarink

“What _are_ you humming over there?” Gwen asked, tossing a glance at David across the cabin.

“Hm?” He looked up. “Oh. Skinnamarink, I guess.”

“Come again?” She raised an eyebrow.

“…Skinnamarink.” When she didn’t react, he tried, “Sharon, Lois and Bram?”

“Yeah, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

He tipped his head, then began to sing. “ _Skinnarmarinky-dinky-dink, skinnamarinky-doo, I love you…_ ” A pause. “ _I love you in the morning, and in the afternoon, I love you in the evening, underneath the moon…_ ”

“What _is_ that,” she demanded, putting down her book.

David flushed. “You make me think of it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (((Canadian David strikes again)))


	65. Taking Chances

“You’re worth taking chances on,” he told her warmly, genuinely.

Gwen had never felt so loved in all her life. God, what had she done to _deserve_ this? She asked herself that question constantly, but never really found an answer. Nonetheless, David continued to blow her expectations clean out of the water. She had never known anyone who expressed their affection so openly, or so frequently.

She was worth the risk, he told her. She had a bright future ahead of her. David thought she was smart, hardworking, passionate, valuable. He was proud of her.

God, she was so _loved_.


	66. Just

One day she looked at him and he wasn’t just a coworker any more – he was a friend. A man who really did care about her, and in spite of herself she cared about him, too. He was a bit of an idiot, in a way that reminded her a little of her childhood dog – too happy, too gung-ho, too short-sighted. But he was sweet and honest and optimistic. He hadn’t lost that youthful belief that he could make the world a better place.

And one day she looked at him and he wasn’t just a friend, any more, either.


	67. Home

“Don’t you ever get tired?” Gwen asked, watching him with a weary smile. “Don’t you ever just… want to go home?”

“I _am_ home,” David answered fondly.

She rolled her eyes, amused. “Yeah, yeah. _Camp Campbell is the place for me and you._ ”

She thought he meant the camp, he realised. Well, that was fair. A year or two ago she would have been right. But now, he meant _here_ – sitting next to her by the fire, hips pressed together, hands linked comfortably.

It was okay if she didn’t understand just yet. He had plenty of time to tell her.


	68. Potable

“Bottled water? Gwen, that’s so wasteful!” David exclaimed, peering into her fridge.

“Sorry, David,” she snorted. “It’s not my fault, though. It’s the building. The water here isn’t potable.”

He looked at her, aghast, and she couldn’t help snickering. “I’m getting you out of here as soon as I _possibly_ can,” he told her in dismay, slamming the fridge shut. “And I’m buying you a water filter in the meantime…”

His concern was endearingly absurd. She couldn’t think of anyone else who cared what a terrible apartment she had, but there he was, already promising to save her from it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this whole chapter happened because I had the word 'potable' stuck in my head


	69. Resilient

“Some days,” David said, putting his hands on Gwen’s shoulders and digging into her tense muscles, “are just longer than others.”

“Yeah, you’re not kidding,” she muttered, rolling her neck. “Jesus. That was a rough one.”

“Space Kid’ll be fine,” he assured her. “He’s… resilient.”

“I think I might be more worried about Harrison, actually,” she admitted. “That kid needs… I dunno… help, I think. Like, more than we’re qualified to give.” She frowned, concerned.

“I think this place is more helpful for him than you realise.” David kissed her cheek. “But it’s nice to hear you say you care.”


	70. Hugs

David hugged her the first time they met. It was alarming, to say the least – she wasn’t especially affectionate with _anyone_ , least of all _strangers_. But he went right for it and the fact that she went stiff as a board either went over his head or just didn’t make a difference.

After the first few she was prepared, and pushed him off for a while. Eventually she gave in and let it happen, as he clearly wasn’t going to stop.

Even stranger than those unexpected hugs, for Gwen, was the day she realised she was beginning to like them.


End file.
